On Friday, members of the House Republican Study Committee introduced a resolution that would bar former FBI Director James Comey from holding any future federal office if adopted.
The move comes in response to an Instagram post Comey shared on Thursday, which appeared to suggest the removal—or, as some interpreted, the assassination—of President Donald Trump. The now-deleted image showed the number “8647” spelled out with seashells on a beach. The numbers are perceived as a call to “86” the 47th president, which can be used as a call sign for murder.
The proposed resolution “urges the relevant authorities to take every relevant action to ensure that [Comey] is never again permitted to serve as an employee of the federal government.”
It also suggests the Justice Department “conduct[s] a full and comprehensive investigation” into the social media post, “and release the findings of that investigation to the relevant House Committees and the public.”
Comey has attempted to distance himself from the Instagram post, claiming he was unaware of the violent implications associated with the numbers, despite his background as a former top law enforcement official. He did, however, acknowledge that he understood the numbers carried political significance.
President Trump and other Republicans have dismissed that explanation, with Trump asserting that “even a child knew what that meant.” He added: “If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant? That meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear.”
RSC Chairman August Pfluger also did not appear to buy into Comey’s justification, stating the former director betrayed the “trust once placed in him by the American people.”
“That someone who once held one of our nation’s most sacred positions of law enforcement would incite such dangerous rhetoric is not just alarming — it’s disqualifying and un-American,” Pfluger said in a statement. “This resolution demands the accountability and transparency the American people deserve, ensuring Comey never again holds a position of public trust.”
The Secret Service is leading the investigation into the social media post, with assistance from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, Just the News reported. Comey was brought in for questioning by the Secret Service on Friday, according to reports. It’s not clear where the investigation stands following his questioning by the protective agency.